Sinner vs. Bublik: Vienna’s Spark and Turin’s Dream

Sinner's Vienna Preview

The volatile rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik could flare again next week at the Vienna ATP 500. If the top seed and 2023 champion Sinner and the eighth seed Bublik both reach the quarterfinals on the indoor hard courts, a rematch would be on.

Bublik is one of only three players to defeat the world No. 2 in tour-level action this year, stunning the Italian with a three-set win in Halle in June on the way to the title.

But Sinner answered back, taking straight sets from Bublik at Roland Garros and at the US Open on either side of that grass-court upset.

Sinner's Early Route

Before contemplating a possible clash with the Kazakh, Sinner will open against Daniel Altmaier in round one, who pushed the Italian to a marathon five-setter at Roland Garros 2023. Sinner won their latest meeting in Shanghai earlier this month to swing the head-to-head to 2-1.

In the upper half, Sinner could meet Tomáš Macháč or Flavio Cobolli in the second round.

Turin Race Heats Up

The second seed and 2021 champion Alexander Zverev opens in the bottom half against a qualifier; the German, ranked fourth in the direct Turin race, is expected to meet Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals.

Third seed Alex de Minaur faces the host wildcard Yuri Rodionov; De Minaur sits seventh in the Turin race and is well placed to qualify for the Nitto Finals for the second straight year.

Lorenzo Musetti, eighth in the direct race, aims to go deep in Vienna to keep his first Nitto Finals appearance in sight, but the Italian faces a tough test in the Austrian capital against former world No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Seventh seed and 2020 Vienna champion Andrey Rublev opens against Cameron Norrie, with the winner likely to meet one of the big hitters Alex Popyrin or Matteo Berrettini in the quarters.

Medvedev, sixth in the race, could meet the winner of the Almaty final, with Alex Michielsen or Corentin Motité in the mix for a potential quarterfinal duel.

Bottom Half: The Chase Continues

In the bottom half, Fritz’s path in the race to Turin features Ben Shelton, who starts against a qualifier; the American posted 37 wins to 19 losses in 2025 and was Basel finalist last year, a run that keeps him in the mix for a late surge.

The Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime opens against fellow countryman Gabriel Diallo, with the aim of climbing the standings and earning a first appearance in the Nitto Finals since his breakthrough seasons.

The draw also places a strong-serving French wildcard against Joao Fonseca in the opening round, with Holger Rune and Jakob Mensik occupying nearby seeds in a quarter that could feature a local breakout moment.

Punchline time: If tennis is a sport of sharp serves, Vienna just bought its new mood ring—because every serve could reveal a different future. Second punchline: In a race to Turin, even the balls seem to be filing expense reports for travel—talk about a well-documented shuttle service to the finals!